Fluid-controlling device.



H. D. METCALF.

FLUID CONTROLLING DEVICE.

0 DEC. 1,1916. 7

1,212,085. Patented Jan. 9,1917.

, H, 2 SHEETS-SHEET APPLICATION HLED NOV.28. 1914- RENEWE H. D. METCALF.FLUID CONTROLLING-DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED NOV-28. 1914- RENEWED DEG-1|1916 ented. Jan. 9

llllllllllllll I features,

gives perfect freedom to the hands of the various IIUNITEDSTATES PATENTOFFICE.

HENRY n, rumour-{or cnsnr, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB or oNn IIALr r0 eLEmvnouennn'rv, or cnsnv, ILLINOIS.

rLuIn-comoLLme nnvrcn.

" Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November-28,1914, Serial No. 874,499. Renewed,December 1, Isle. Serial in. mm.

To all 'zckom it mag) concern:

Be it known that I, HENRYVHD. METGALF, a citizen ofthe United States,residing at Casey,'inthe countyofClark and State of Illinois, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Fluid-Controlling Devices, of

which the following An object of the a device for use in is aspecification. "invention is to provide controlling the flow of fluids,the" device being particularly adaptable for use in controlling, by apressure ofthe foot, the flow of hot and cold water or the draining ofwater from a basin, as in bath rooms, barber shops and the like.

The invention contemplates, among other the provision of a device whichis operated by the foot and which, therefore,

, operator so that when the device is used in connection with a bathroom wash bowl or the like, the operator can wash his hands withoutnecessitating the use of one of the hands in operating the-device;

g Still further embodiments of the invention reside in a device whichpermits of supplying hot or cold water to awash bowl or combining hotandcold water, while at the same time provision ismade for flushing thewash bowl with hot water, with cold water or with a combination of hotand cold water. Although the device can be used for purposes forcontrolling the flow of fluid be combinedwith another or supplied to thereceptacle by itself without combining with another fluid, Iparticularly employ my detures and toilet constructions,

vice in connection with bath room strucobject being to set forth astructure which enables the operator to. freely use his hands byhavingthe device foot controlled.

fication, in which similar characters ofreference denote correspondingparts in all the views, and in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view ofthe device'as used connection with a wash bowl; Fig. 2 is a verticalsectional view of the structure shown in F i 1; Fig. 3' is a fragmentaryenlarged vertical sectional view of thesupply valves; Fig. 4 is afragmentary enlarged vertical sectional view of the dram compartment 19cation with a fluid be delivered to the 'whereas when the 1 supplyofcold water willbe delivered to" plies of water being the singledischarge s into a receptacle sov that one fluid can the principaldownward pressure, In the further disclosure'of the invention "referenceis to be had tov drawings,

valve; Fig. 5 isa fragmentary perspective PatentedJan.9,1917g vlew'fofone of the leverconnections; and

Fig. 6*is a. fragmentary vertical "sectional, modified-form of opviewtaken through a crating member.

Refe'rrin more particularly to the views,

I disclose he usual wash bowl or receptacle the receptacle or bowl 10. Apipe 17 is suit-' ably supported on in the nature of a connecting with athebowl said pipe be discharge to the bowl a iid valve chambers which isnormally closed to the compartment 19 by a spring-actuated valve 21,each of sa d compartments 20 having communisa'id supply pipes preferablycarrying hot water and the other cold water.

will be clearly seen that when one of the casing 18 formed. with a.commonto a plurality of 20 in the casing, each of upon a wall 12.The-washbowl supply pipe 22, one of f Now -it valves 21 is open asupply'of hot water'will othervalve is open a the receptacle, said suadapted to pass throng pipe 17 and-which has the two pipes 22 commonthereto through the medium of the compartment 19.

In order to efieefi a the device by valves proper operation of 21carries a stem 23 passing 'up- -wardlyand outwardly through the valve Prted to swing upon an upright 30 with Its OthGI-PGIldf connecting with a31 bowl or receptacle 10, Y

means of the foot each of the.

end connecting with which in turn is also pivoted to one end of a secondbell crank lever 32 mounted to swing uponan upright 33. The bell cranklever.32 has connection by means of a suitable link 34 with a lever 35pivoted upon an upright 36 and which in turn is connected with a link 37pivoted to an operat- 1n the plate 27 ,and terminating in a knob 39 uponwhich the pressure of the foot is adapted to bear, .said operatingmembers being supported in a suitable guide 40 common to both members,as shown.

Now as mentioned heretofore the valves 21 are normally closed and whenit is desired to open the valve which controls the supply of hot waterto the bowl or receptacle, a downward pressure of'the -foot is appliedto one of the operating members 39 and thus through the medium of thelevers and link connections described actuating the rod 26 andwhich,'through the medium of the link 25 and stem 23 operates the valveto open the same and permit a supply of hot water to pass through thedischarge pipe 17 into the bowl or receptacle 10. Similarly, the otheroperating member can be actuated to operate the other valve 21 andsupply cold water to the receptacle through the medium of the dischargepipe 17 and in view of the fact that the two operating members arearranged adjacent to each other it will be seen that by the pressure ofa single foot one or the other or both operating members can be actuatedto supply hot or cold water ora combination of both, the hot and coldwater supply pipes being common to the single discharge pipe 17 throughthe medium of the valve chambers 20 and the compartment 19.

. The drain valve 16 carries a lever 41 which has pivotal connectionwith a rod 42 passing downwardly through the plate 27 and connectingwith a lever 43 pivoted on the upright 36, said lever 43 having pivotalconnection with a link 44 and which, in turn connects with an operatingmember 45 also passing through the plate 27 adjacent the operatingmembers 39 and having a knob 46, said operating member 45 being alsosupported in the guide 40. Now it will be seen that the supply operatingmembers indicated by the numeral 39 and the drain operating memberindicated by the numeral 45 are all adjacently arranged so that by thepressure of a single foot each can be operated independently, the threecan be operated together or any two can be simultaneously operated, thusinsuring every possible conbination for the purpose of supplying hotwater, cold water, both hot and cold water or flushing the bowl orreceptacle 10 with hot water, cold water or both hot and cold water.When all three operating levers are depressed it will be clearly seenthat the member 38 passing upwardly through drain pipe will be open andsupplies ofliot and cold water will be deliveredto the receptacle 10 sothat while the receptacle is receiving the water from the discharge pipe17v the bowl or receptacle is being flushed and the fluid receivedthereinis'being carried outthrough the drain pipe.

The downward movement of the operating members is preferably limited bythe provision of suitable stop lugs. 47 and which can be secured to theupright 37 or to the floor 28 in the depression formed to receive "themechanism connecting the operating members with the rods26 and 42.

It will of course be understood that I do not limit myself to thespecific arrangement of the various parts, and whereas the casing- 18 isshown as supported by a bracket 48 upon the wall 12, the casing can bearranged.

in any suitable manner, behind or in front of the wall and the componentparts also suitably arranged 'in accordance with the particular kind ofbowl or. receptacle to ghigh it is desired to supply a quantity of InFig. 6 there is shown a slightly modified form of operating member andin which instance the operating member is indicated by the numeral 49,includes a lmob 50 on its upper end, a suitable ball 51 being preferablyformed at the. 'lower .end of the operating member and arranged torepose upon aledge 52 projecting from the front end of the lever 35 andwhich is preferably provided with an opening 53 through which theoperating member loosely extends as shown, said operating member passingloosely through the plate 27 forming a part of the floor 28.

The device is also adaptable for various other purposes and need not belimited to use with toilet fixtures, it being clearly apparentthat thestructure described can be used for the purpose of controlling the'flowof a certain fluid to a receptacle and the draining thereof from thereceptacle or controlling the flow of a combination of fluids to andfrom a receptacle.

In order to insure a proper operation of the operating members suitablesprings 54 are provided and which vare arranged to hold the operatingmembers in normal position and insure the return of the operatingmembers to normal position after the same have been operated by the footand the foot removed from the knobs of the operating members. It will,of course, be understood that the springs arranged in the casing 18 tooperate upon the valves 21 are not absolutely necessary in the operationof the device, particularly in cases where the city water supply isconnected with the device and where the pressure of the fluid issufiiciently great to resist the valves after the same have once beenopened.

. Having thus descrilied my invention, I, claim:'

In combination} valvefhaving its stem projecting vertically; rcentrallypivoted 5 linkhaving one end pivotally connected to said stem,avertically arranged bar having its upper end pivotally connected tothere maining end of thesaid link, a pair of bell crank-leverspiilotally connected together 10v and one further 'pivotally connectedto the lower end of saidrod, a horizontally arranged. centrally pivotedlever having one Witnesses:

end nivotally connected to one "of said bell I crank levers, avertically slidable-membr and a link swingingly connecting the re- 1 5-HENRY .1). METGALF.

*- B. M. FITZPATRICK, GLENN Donomm'rr.

